Two iconic clubs have been saved and reopened – is London’s nightlife healing?

Is London’s nightlife healing after years of post-Covid struggle and battles of Nimby’s desperate to keep the city quiet?

‘I was in London last night, and for the first time in a long time, it felt vibrant,’ Michael Kill told Metro.

Mr Kill, the head of the Night Time Industries Association, has been helping London venues battle through harsh licensing conditions, property developers and dropping post-Covid party appetites.

Many pubs, clubs and bars have all been forced to shutter over the last 10 years, with the capital suffering a 19% decline in late night venues since Covid lockdowns.

But it is finally looking like ‘there is light at the end of the tunnel’.

He said: ‘Last night, I went out in Soho and I did not get back until after midnight. The bars were busy, people were connecting, and there was singing and dancing.

‘It really feels like we are rebuilding.’

The Moth Club is saved (for now)

Many in the capital were delighted to see The Moth Club in Hackney has been saved from closure.

The venue, which is a hub for gigs, comedy and club nights for rising acts, and even had surprise visits from Lady Gaga and Dave Grohl.

But it was facing off property developers looking to turn the building next door into six residential flats. This would have threatened the building’s future with noise complaints.

Strong support helped save the club, with Tame Impala and Lewis Capaldi being just two of 30,000 people who signed the petition to keep the venue alive.

This week Hackney Council refused the developers planning permission. The venue’s long-term survival remains at risk with a second active planning application. But for now, Moth Club remains.

Mr Kill said: ‘I am over the moon. It has been such a concerted effort from the community, and the general public is realising they need to get involved to save nightlift too.’

A decade later, the Black Cap is back

And on Camden High Street, the iconic LGBTQ+ venue the Black Cap has opened with a new owner and a £2 million renovation after more than a decade of campaigning.

A vigil was held outside the venue every week since its closure in 2015, with the venue was once considered the ‘Palladium of Drag’ in London, and where Paul O’Grady’s drag persona Lily Savage made their debut.

This good news comes after more than half of London’s LGBTQ+ venues closed between 2006 and 2022, dropping from 125 to just 50.

Mr Kill said: ‘This shows how strong of a trajectory we are on. The Mayor of London is also realising how strong his policies need to be to protect spaces, and I think it is paying off.’

London’s Nightlife Taskforce was set up a year to put together leaders across the industry to save venues.

In January they revealed their recommendations, including a new London-wide licensing standard which should , hopefully, modernise the application process and make decisions more consistent.

Sadiq Khan is set to receive significant powers to challenge NIMBYs, putting a stop to planning and licensing developments.

The Taskforce has also recommended the creation of an independent Nightlife Commission to help deliver the recommendations, which the Mayor has already pledged £300,000 towards.

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